A Gravity Falls Christmas
by IAmsRyoSan
Summary: With their parents off to an important conference for work, Mabel and Dipper Pines head back to Gravity Falls to spend Christmas with their Grunkle Stan. With everyone in high spirits it doesn't seem possible for anything to go wrong. (Except, you know, if a certain demonic triangle shows up) [Future BillDip because I'm shipping trash]
1. December 21st

A/N: Ah, hello everyone! This is my first fanfic to come out to the public. Nothing's gotten past a notebook or piece of paper, haha. That being said I do hope you enjoy the first chapter of this story. Please consider leaving a review to support my work if you truly like it! It would mean a lot to me. So, enjoy!

The months between August and December had gone by in a flash. But with every day the Pines twins, Dipper and Mabel, would think of their most recent summer that they had spent with their Grunkle Stan in Gravity Falls. They didn't dislike their actual home, but their summer vacation had been the most excitement the now teens had experienced in their young lives. The next summer felt too far away until they received the news from their parents about going back for their winter break and to stay for Christmas and New Year's Day. At first they questioned the decision considering Christmas was more of a... Close family sort of holiday(not to say they weren't close with Stan.) Their parents chuckled warmly at their bewilderment and explained that they, unfortunately, would be leaving town for a conference relating to their jobs. They had tried to get out of it, but didn't let it bring them down since they knew their children had deeply enjoyed their time in Gravity Falls. The twins shrugged it off almost instantly and ran upstairs to plan on what to bring. Their winter break was beginning in a mere week.

When the time finally came to get on the bus to Gravity Falls, their parents waved them off with jubilant smiles. Dipper and Mabel returned them, waving back from the back window of the bus. The young pair took their seats properly when the vehicle began moving. Surprisingly, the bus was heated rather well. Dipper removed his coat, revealing his usual dark blue vest which rested on a now long-sleeved red shirt to accommodate the colder weather. Mabel did the same, though her outfit choices hadn't changed. The only difference were longer pairs of socks to make up for her continuing to wear skirts despite the dropping temperature.

"Ooh! This is so exciting, Dipper!" Mabel gushed, practically bouncing off of her seat. "I'll get to see Candy and Grenda again! And Waddles! Do you think it's gonna snow? Maybe there's _already_ snow!"

Her excitement was evident, earning a soft laugh from her twin. He too was excited, but had a bit more self control than Mabel. Dipper would occasionally look out the window to check the progress of their ride. He wondered if anything might be different in Gravity Falls during winter. Were there new creatures to search for? Maybe an evil Santa beast similar to the Summerween Trickster. There was so much to look forward to and it all made the bus ride feel excruciatingly long.

"Hey! Let's play bus seat treasure hunt," Mabel suggested, she too feeling a bit stir crazy from the seemingly never-ending bus ride.

"Alright. I guess it would help pass the time a bit," Dipper reasoned, a small smile on his face.

The two scooted apart and lifted up the bus seat, examining the contents hidden underneath.

"Let's see..." Mabel leaned in closer for a better look. "We've got some pebbles, a used tissue... Plenty of chewed gum and- Woah! Ten bucks!" She made a grab for the money and let the seat cushion fall back to its original spot.

Dipper leaned over, amazed that something _actually_ valuable was under one of the seats.

"As the older twin, and also having suggested we look, I say that I deserve this," Mabel claimed, smiling proudly to herself.

Dipper rolled his eyes, "If you say so." He already had his own supply of money which he was rather frugal with, so allowing his sister to keep this small amount wasn't a big deal. Chances were she was going to spend it on something silly like glitter. Or worse, smile dip.

It seemed that their little bus adventure did pass the time because the twins noticed the familiar "Welcome to Gravity Falls" sign. They both gasped in the realization that they were almost there. Dipper pulled his coat back on, nudging his sister to coax her to do the same. Though she seemed more interested in taking the familiar sights of the town they had been in only a few months earlier. Their bus came to a halt and the twins hurried for the bus door with their luggage. The ground was powdered white, suggesting it had snowed not long ago. This earned a joyous squeal from Mabel. It meant the possibility of a white Christmas was definitely there.

"Dipper! Isn't it great to be back?!" Mabel looked expectantly at her brother who smiled and laughed in response.

"It is," he replied simply.

The two practically ran all the way to the Mystery Shack, unable to wait any longer to get settled in and start having some fun in their summer paradise. They approached the shack, taking in the familiar sights, including the fallen "S." Mabel ran inside first, being closely followed by Dipper. The door creaked softly as they entered and called out for their great uncle. Wendy was still around, working the register and immediately came over to her familiar friends.

"Hey! Mabel. Dipper. I didn't know you guys would be coming up here. What's up?" She patted both their heads, a huge smile taking the place of the usual bored frown she sported while working.

"Our parents had to travel somewhere for work so we get to stay here for our winter break," Dipper chimed.

"Dude, that's sick. I'll be working, like, everyday so we can hang out or something."

"What about spending time with your family?" Mabel questioned.

Wendy snorted and shook her head. "Trust me. Working here is way better than spending the holidays with my dad."

The twins could believe it easily. Wendy's dad was certainly... Something.

"Do you know where Grunkle Stan is?" Dipper looked around the gift shop, expecting to have seen the old man around.

"He's out giving a tour right now. But I'm sure he'll be back soon. He probably didn't know when you guys would be getting here."

Dipper nodded in understanding, "Yeah, I guess he didn't know if the weather would be bad or not. Well, I guess we'll go put our stuff up in our room."

Mabel led the way as Dipper waved goodbye to Wendy who took her spot back behind the register and began reading a magazine. The attic was the same as usual, minus the covers on the beds, and bare walls next to them. The same old mold spots were up on the rafters which Mabel has named fondly back in the summer. Dipper threw off his coat and flopped onto his bed.

"Our whole winter break in Gravity Falls! This is gonna be great."

His sister nodded rapidly and began unpacking. This was going to be one the greatest Christmases they would ever have. Partially because this was their first Christmas away from home. Dipper pulled out his journal from his suitcase and flipped through the familiar pages. The mysteries of Gravity Falls were once again in his reach. Nothing was going to ruin this vacation.


	2. December 22nd

**A/N: I was going to keep it to updating on Thursdays cause that's when I posted the first chapter... But then I got excited cause I was able to finalize the ideas for this chapter. It's like... 4AM though so sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes. And the overuse of any words orz I'd appreciate it if you left a review! :D**

Just like Wendy had said, Stan returned from the tour fairly soon. He greeted the visiting pair with warmth, giving a rare expression of how overjoyed he was to have them back. Even more rare was a hug the three shared. Apparently the Christmas spirit got to Grunkle Stan as well. But after a warm dinner and a bit of TV, the twins were drained of their remaining energy. They dismissed themselves to their room and collapsed onto their respective beds. Mabel looked over at her brother, beaming with her usual giddiness, but her body was surely physically exhausted.

"I can't wait for tomorrow! We're gonna get a tree and decorate it all pretty. I brought craft supplies and my bedazzler to maximize the Mabelosity..!"

Dipper rolled onto his back, holding back his laughter, though his body shook from the spasms they created regardless of if he made a sound or not. He knew Mabel would have made ornaments and decorations no matter what, but it was a good idea since the chances of Stan having any around were slim to none. Stan definitely had supplies to make some, but that stuff was always being used to make new additions for the Mystery Shack tours.

"Hey, don't make it too girly, okay? This is a _family_ tree after all," Dipper reminded her.

Mabel waved a hand at him, "Not to worry, bro-bro. I've been planning something perfect since mom and dad told us we'd be staying here."

Maybe it wasn't wise to take her word for it, knowing Mabel, but Dipper wasn't going to let it bother him. The only part of the tree that really mattered was decorating it together. He didn't imagine that Stan would join them, but that was to be expected and Dipper was fine with it.

Dipper yawned, "Well, it'll all happen tomorrow, so for now we should get some sleep. These next couple of days are going to be pretty busy, I'd say."

With a nod from his sister, Dipper flicked off the lights and buried himself under his blanket for a good night's rest. He could hear Mabel get settled in on the other side of the room.

"Goodnight, Mabel."

"Night, Dipper."

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><p>In the mid to late morning the Pines twins awoke nearly simultaneously. They dressed themselves, cleaned up in the bathroom, and prepared themselves for the rest of the day. Mabel ran downstairs first and slid into the kitchen for breakfast. She pulled out the pitcher of her "famous" Mabel juice which she'd prepared the night before. Dipper came in after her and grabbed a bowl and box of cereal. As they both sat down at the small table Stan came in, already dressed in his suit.<p>

"Alright kids," he started, rubbing his hands together, "The Shack's gonna be busy up until Christmas so I'll be sending you out with Wendy and Soos to go chop down a tree."

Mabel seemed intrigued by the idea of cutting down their own tree. It seemed strange that Stan wanted to send all his workers out, but the pair seemed too high in spirits to object. All of them going actually seemed rather logical to Dipper. Wendy would excel at chopping down said tree, Soos would have the man power to drag it back, Mabel would know which tree would look the best, and Dipper... Dipper would make sure everyone stayed on track. He also would make sure Mabel didn't try to pick a tree that would exceed the height that would even fit in the house. Yup, everyone had an important role.

So it followed that after breakfast Dipper, Mabel, Wendy, and Soos would gear up to go out in the cold weather for a good few hours. It turned out that the previous night it had snowed, leaving the ground covered in a little less than a foot of fluffy powder. (Mabel was the most excited about this.) The group headed off into the woods with an axe in hand. Wendy's hand to be specific.

It felt a bit silly to try to keep everything on track and serious, so Dipper relaxed as they walked. There wasn't much seriousness that went into chopping down a Christmas tree after all. For a while they'd all gotten distracted after Mabel threw a lightly packed snowball at Dipper who tried to return the shot, but instead hit Wendy by mistake. This began an intense snowball fight of Dipper and Soos versus Wendy and Mabel. Though it felt unfair to have Mabel's everlasting energy and Wendy's athleticism on a single team. Their battle lasted a little more than two hours, their constant movement keeping them insulated, but the boys still lost in a crushing defeat. They all plopped themselves down in the snow, breathing heavily and laughing.

"I can't remember the last time I was part of a snowball fight," Wendy commented. Her family was a mix of crazy and hardworking, so it never seemed like a good idea to have any kind of fight with them. "That was so much fun."

"Yeah dudes, that was sweet," Soos added.

Dipper himself couldn't recall having many snowball fights in his lifetime. If he did, he always got beaten by Mabel. He seldom exercised, so it only made sense.

After catching their breath the group stood and continued on their search. Typically people would just go out and buy a tree from somewhere, so this felt more like a grand adventure. Plus it didn't cost anything, which is what made Stan favor it.

"There..!" Mabel gasped suddenly and sprinted over to a tree nearly out of sight. "The perfect tree!"

The others caught up to her and examined it. A medium sized pine stood before them. From a closer examination it seemed almost perfectly symmetrical on all sides. Dipper deemed it to be of an appropriate height and had Soos and Mabel step back so Wendy could work her magic. She may not have liked growing up doing this kind of thing, but it was hard not to admit that it came in handy. Wendy backed away when it began to fall and approached again after it fell with a thud. Soos and Dipper took the job of tying the branches, making it easier to pull along, especially since it would be a one man job by Soos.

They chatted amongst themselves as they started back, the sun already nearing it's setting point. Looked like they spent a lot more time outside than they thought. The clouded sky enhanced the darkening area and further reduced the already freezing temperature. They agreed to pick up the pace a bit so as to not suffer too much from the cold.

Dipper hung toward the back, being the least physically fit, but kept up nonetheless. He heard various noises of creatures from behind them, whether they were of the supernatural nature or not. Curious of one of the cracks of a twig he stopped and looked back, only to be disappointed when he wasn't able to spot anything. His disappointment was quickly replaced by confusion when he turned around and he wasn't able to see a single one of his friends.

"Mabel..? Wendy? Soos?" Dipper turned in different directions, unsure of how he could lose them in such a short amount of time.

Concern began to set in when the color around him, though limited, became saturated in shades of gray. His breathing stopped when he heard a familiar laugh which came from all directions. The triangular menace known as Bill Cipher rose up from the snowy land and circled around Dipper.

"Well, well, well... Seems like your friends left you behind."

Dipper scowled, glaring at the dream demon in hopes of scaring him off, though he knew that was literally impossible to do. He should have known _something_ like this was going to happen. As the saying went, misfortune comes in times of great happiness.

"What do you want, Bill? You have no reason to be here." Dipper hissed, keeping a close eye on the glowing dorito.

"Pine Tree, I'm hurt. I thought you'd be happy to see me after leaving me for, what, almost four months?" Bill floated down closer to the brunette, causing him to step back nervously.

Dipper clicked his tongue and relaxed his stance, but not his glare. He told himself to just keep calm. There wasn't a thing Bill could do to him. All of this was likely a dream anyway.

"There's no way I'd ever want to see you. Now why are you here?" he demanded, raising his voice slightly.

"Oh I just felt like saying hello... You know, perhaps chat about the big event you humans have coming up."

Dipper eyed him skeptically, "What about it?"

"I've got a big job coming up and I just want to make sure that _you_ don't get in the way this time."

"Then... Why tell me about it?" Wouldn't it make more sense if Bill didn't tell anyone? It confused the twin thoroughly.

"Because I like you, kid. Had to tell someone. Well, enjoy the snow, Pine Tree."

Color returned immediately and Dipper woke with a start, finding that he was laying in the snow. It was almost completely dark, which wasn't helped by the still cloudy sky. But as it turned out, his friends really weren't there. Did they not notice..? Dipper attempted to sit up but a rush of painful sensations went up through his body, including a near-crippling shiver.

"Shit..." he cursed under his breath realizing that hypothermia had been setting in the entire time.

The brunette used a nearby tree to get himself up onto his feet which shook along with the rest of his body. His skin almost glowed in the darkness and closely matched the white of the snow, though his lips were tinted blue. He took a deep, labored breath and started walking, barely remembering the direction he was previously headed in. Each step was slow and labored, but he pushed on knowing the seriousness that hypothermia posed. But he still couldn't figure out how no one noticed he wasn't following anymore.

"G-gotta get back... No time to think a-about that..." he reminded himself through almost painfully chattering teeth.

It was difficult to move his hands and feet, but the pure fact that he still could was a good sign. This would probably one of the worst ways to die after all. Alone in the forest, close to Christmas, and at the ripe age of thirteen. The thought brought out a weak chuckle from the boy. Anything to keep him moving... But the more he walked, the harder it became, and before he knew it he was on his knees shaking and desperately trying to remain warm. He wasn't even able to notice the glow of a flashlight in the distance. It seemed he passed out just then, only to wake up back in the Mystery Shack, bundled in at least a dozen blankets. At the sign of him waking up, everyone let out a huge sigh of relief. When they found him, they feared in was too late to save the boy.

Dipper looked around the living room, still a bit hazy. Mabel was right by his side, her eyes still red from the fearful tears that had only stopped moments ago. Stan looked over the boy, more composed than the others, but worry was still laced in his expression. Wendy and Soos were relieved as well, but had to make their separate ways home with the peace of mind that Dipper was alright.

"What... What happened?" Dipper's voice was hoarse, his body still extremely weak and giving to spasms from the lasting shivers.

Stan stepped forward, "We found you passed out in the woods, kid. It's a miracle you're still alive. And... Well we should be asking _you_ what happened."

Dipper squinted his eyes, attempting to remember what happened back in the forest, "I... I remember looking away from the others for a second and then they were gone..." He thought about mentioning Bill, but feared he'd ruin the upcoming holiday if he did so. Whatever Bill was planning, he could handle on his own.

"...I'm just glad you're alright. That was way too close. Mabel, help your brother upstairs when he's warmed up some more."

Stan left the room without another word, leaving the twins on their own.

"Dipper, what happened? Why didn't you come back right away?" Mabel looked at him with a surprisingly serious stare, which contained just as much concern.

Dipper bit his lip softly, desperately trying to come up with some kind of story. "Well... I thought maybe you guys saw me looking away and hid to try and scare me. I guess I slipped searching for you and got knocked out..." He avoided eye contact with her, hoping she'd just believe it was embarrassment.

She seemed conflicted about his words and sighed, "Alright... I'm just so happy you're okay. I don't know what I'd do without you, Dipper."

Dipper gave her a weak smile, touched by his sister's kind words.

"Thanks, Mabel... That means a lot. Sorry for worrying you."

She sighed again before her gloom faded into a relaxed grin. The day turned out to be way more eventful than either of them had originally thought. At least the whole ordeal didn't end badly.

"Come on, let's get to bed."

Mabel nodded, feeling her exhaustion setting in now that things were calm. She helped Dipper up from the couch and got him upstairs and into bed for a needed rest.


	3. December 23rd

A/N: Hoooo boy, I must apologize for taking so long on this chapter. I was really lost for a while, and then I wrote half of it, but I was totally stuck on the other half and it was just a big cycle of BLAH. But, it's up now, currently, as of... 1:24AM on November 25th, not edited. As always I appreciate your reviews. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Dipper awoke with a start, sitting up when he realized where he was. Was the day before... real? It felt like a terrible dream. He took a deep breath and looked to his twin's bed, surprised to not see her still bundled up under the covers. Normally he'd be awake long before her. He figured today could be an exception considering what he dealt with the day before. His body showed a bit of resistance as he got out of bed. There was an uncomfortable tenseness in his arms and legs which spread dully through the rest of his body.<p>

Mabel greeted the boy as he slowly made his way downstairs. The tree from yesterday was set up close to the couch, the branches still bare. It was surprising that Stan actually had a tree stand. Though looking more closely, Dipper noted that it looked rather new. He took a seat on the couch and Mabel joined him soon after.

"So do you wanna decorate the tree now? I was waiting until you woke up. Oh! That reminds me, how are you feeling?" Mabel spoke with her usual peppiness.

Dipper rubbed his arm in thought, "A little sore... But I'm alright. Thanks," he smiled at her, "I don't think I could focus on the tree right now, though."

Mabel frowned, disappointed at her brother's response. She could, however, recognize the gleam in his eyes. There was something he needed to do, and nothing was going to stop him. Her smile returned, giving off a gentle glow.

"I got it, bro-bro," she stood up and fished around in her pocket, pulling out the money she'd pocketed back on the bus. Mabel placed it in her brother's hand and punched him in the arm softly, "I do need more time to make some decorations."

Dipper looked down at the money and slid into his pocket, "I'll help you later today. Promise."

It wasn't often that Mabel did these kinds of things. Usually it was always about Mabel, so he was really touched by his twin's kindness. She sent him off with a shooing motion and Dipper got dressed for the colder weather outside. He grabbed his journal on the way out and said a set of quick goodbyes to Mabel and Stan. Stan glanced out from the kitchen, keeping his worries for the teen to himself. Dipper was more of a fighter these days, so Stan knew he couldn't stop the boy, but he also felt that he didn't need to anymore.

Needing a place to think, Dipper made his way to Greasy's Diner for just that, and some breakfast while he was at it. He was surprised that not many people had left town for the holidays. Then again the town in general was weird, so he wasn't sure what he really expected. Dipper took a seat at one on the empty booths and pulled out the journal from his coat. He flipped through the pages and leaned back with a groan. Even with the black light trick, there was nothing new that he could read up on to help him. As he tossed the book onto the table, Lazy Susan came by to take his order. All he asked for was a plate of pancakes and a glass of chocolate milk. Dipper rubbed his temples slowly, trying to think things through with the limited knowledge he had.

"Is this seat taken?" a voice interrupted.

Dipper snapped out of his trance and sat up straight. Before he could get a word in, the unfamiliar figure took a seat across from him in the booth. The brunette found it exceptionally strange, not to mention rude.

"Do I know you?" Dipper questioned, crossing his arms with a pout.

The mystery person began laughing as though they'd heard a hilarious joke. This further confused the boy. He stared, brow raise and mouth hanging open. Maybe this was a dream.

"Jeez, Pine Tree, I thought you were more clever. Perhaps the cold is getting to you."

With a sudden realization Dipper's jaw dropped further. He couldn't believe it. Though his confusion was quickly discarded when he connected "cold" to the previous day's events. Regardless he could hardly believe that _the _Bill Cipher was sitting across from him... sitting across from him in a _human body_. His skin was darker than Dipper's. If he had to compare it to something, it was close to coffee with just a bit of cream in it. And his hair could have been pure gold. It was short and flipped to the side in the front, covering one of the demon's eyes. As for his clothes, it seemed like a rather simple suit. Bill's usual bow tie and top hat were a familiar sight to the boy. Other than that he could see a plain white dress shirt, a yellow coat adorned with a brick-like pattern on the edges. And although he couldn't see it, the tails of the coat were rather long. Everything else, gloves, pants, and dress shoes, were a clean black. Dipper noted that this was a lot different than how most people in Gravity Falls dressed. The only people he could think of that dressed similarly were Stan, during work at least, and Gideon. Now that he thought about it, they didn't exactly change what they wore. But coming from the kid who practically wore the same thing everyday, he didn't have the right to try and criticize them.

The brunette snapped out of his roaming thoughts and shot a glare at the dream demon.

"What are you doing here?!" he hissed, "And whose body did you take this time?"

Bill let out a hearty laugh once more. It was a surprise that no one even glanced over once. Perhaps they were too busy with their own meals.

"Oh, Pine Tree... You must know that demons like me can grow stronger just like any meat bag. Though, in a different way. I don't see any of you going into peoples' dreams," he chuckled softly and rested his chin in a hand, "The point is... I thought it'd be easier to keep my eye on you like this. So, I conjured up myself a body. All the wonderful senses of you humans," pain remained his favorite of them, "And all of my power to use as I please," he paused, frowning slightly, "However, I can't use it all willy nilly now... You set one thing on fire and everyone freaks out. So if I want to stick close to you, Pine Tree, I have to behave myself to an extent. Nothing's going to stop me from causing a bit of havoc at your dear old Mystery Shack though."

Dipper rubbed his temples, convinced he was dreaming at this point. It didn't make sense for Bill to keep an eye on him if he didn't even know what Bill's plans were. Even though it was the kind of thing Bill would do, Dipper couldn't help but feel more than suspicious of it.

He let out a deep sigh, "Then... I guess I can't exactly stop you."

The demon smirked. Rather than an evil look, it was smug, like he'd won some kind of game. And as he watched his miffed Pine Tree, Susan brought over Dipper's order and set it down in front of the boy, paying little mind to Bill. Bill, however, payed quite a bit of attention to the plate and glass, staring at them with genuine curiosity. Dipper ignored the nuisance that was Bill and began eating.

"What are those?" Bill piped up.

Dipper rolled his eyes, "Pancakes."

The blonde nodded, feigning an understanding of it. Sure, he was a being of pure energy that knew lots of things, but what good would it be to him to know of simple breakfast foods? But faced with something new, he wanted to learn about it now.

"Do they taste good?" the demon inquired.

"Yes," Dipper only wanted to eat in peace.

"What are they made of?"

There was a hint of annoyance in the twin's voice, "Flour, eggs, milk, sugar... That kind of stuff."

Bill smiled, interested in the golden disks, "Can I have some?"

Dipper almost choked on what he had in his mouth, flashing a look of disgust at the other. Who in their right mind would share food with someone like Bill? The brunette sighed, finding he was doing that a lot in Bill's presence. Knowing that Bill wouldn't give it up he cut off a piece and held a piece up for the other on his fork. Syrup dripped slowly from the soft cake and onto the plate. Dipper waited for the fork to be taken, tapping his fingers on the table impatiently. Bill stared, unsure of what he was meant to do. Instead of taking the utensil he leaned over and ate the morsel right off the fork. Dipper reflexively pulled his hand back, shocked, and the fork fell to the table with a soft clink. He rubbed his forehead, frustrated. He wasn't prepared for something like that. Maybe Bill was teasing him while he had the chance.

"It's good," Bill mentioned.

"Huh?" Dipper blinked, not processing the demon's words at first.

"It tastes good," he smiled and looked down at the plate of pancakes.

The twin's head tilted to the side, "Okay?"

"They're sweet. Warm. Fluffy. No wonder you enjoy them."

Dipper scratched the back of his head and looked away, "Uh... Yeah."

The reaction was understandable. After all, Bill had never eaten this before. He never needed to eat anything. And it wasn't like he had a mouth in his usual form. Dipper still found it to be weird though. He reached over for his fork and continued to eat, surprised that Bill didn't utter a single word after that. All he did was watch the boy eat until he finished.

Dipper tossed the money his sister had given him onto the table and wiggled out of the booth. It would probably cover the bill and some kind of tip. He figured it was better than running out on the bill like Grunkle Stan would do on occasion. The teen shoved his hands into his coat pockets and hurried out of the diner in an attempt to ditch Bill.

Unfortunately for him his time alone was rather ephemeral. The dream demon hung over him, following from behind. From what Dipper could tell, Bill was about half a foot taller than him. After remembering that Bill "conjured" the body, he assumed it meant that Bill wanted to be this height. Though it really wasn't that tall. Wendy would trump Bill's height and she wasn't even an adult.

"Why Pine Tree, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to ditch me."

He knew better. That's exactly what Dipper was trying to do.

"That's definitely not what I'm trying to do..." Dipper scoffed.

Bill hummed in their silence and moved to walk beside the boy. He tapped his chin in mock thought before placing a hand upon the boy's shoulder.

"How about we go on an adventure?" It sounded like a suggestion, but Bill wouldn't be taking no as an adventure.

Dipper rolled his eyes, "Yes, that sounds like such a smart idea. Going on a weird adventure with the creep who almost made me freeze to death."

"Almost," Bill pointed out, "That's the key word."

"I'm going to say no, but do I really have a choice?"

The demon laughed and led Dipper along, "No choice whatsoever."

Their little trip wasn't anything special. They walked through the cold little town and into the forest that Dipper was more than familiar with. At the moment it didn't seem like he'd be left for dead, so he just went along with things without a word. Bill took to humming again, leading Dipper along in what could be seen as a game of follow-the-leader.

"So..." Dipper started, rubbing the back of his neck, "Where are we going exactly?"

"Mm, around."

Dipper opened his mouth to question further, but it didn't feel like he'd get a straight answer no matter what. He'd left the shack to think and try to figure out what Bill could be planning. And now here he was, _with_ Bill. There was no way he'd get anything done at this rate.

The brunette let out a quiet _'oof' _when he suddenly bumped into his guide.

"Why did you stop? Where are we?" From what Dipper could tell they were in a simple, and strangely small, clearing.

"Pine Tree, why did you come here?"

With a dumbfounded gaze the boy quirked a brow, "Uh..? I've been following you?"

"I meant why did you come back to Gravity Falls?"

Bill sounded oddly serious.

"For the holidays. You know, to spend it with Grunkle Stan and Mabel," Dipper explained, watching the taller curiously.

He received a hum in response and the blond continued walking.

"I've seen this holiday celebrated a lot of times. Humans give other humans gifts, right?"

Dipper moved to catch up as he spoke, "Uh, yeah, usually. It's more for younger kids when they believe in Santa and all that. Families usually exchange gifts even as they get older though."

"What a weird tradition... Aren't there humans undeserving of gifts?"

"Er, I guess so," Dipper cleared his throat softly, "Don't you think it's nice though? To get presents?" He let out an awkward chuckle when Bill remained silent, "Well they say it's better to give than to receive."

It was a shock to see Bill acting so civil on their adventure, which was honestly just a walk. They spoke occasionally, with the dream demon inquiring about seemingly random topics. Their chats were simple and friendly, much to Dipper's confusion. He halted in his tracks, his senses finally reminding him that Bill was plotting something.

"Why did you tell me you had some kind of plan? Wouldn't it be... kind of a hindrance for me to know?" Dipper huffed when he saw Bill continue to walk and moved to catch up with him once again.

"It wouldn't be any fun if I didn't tell anyone. Besides, I want you to know about it specifically."

The cryptic words were certainly something Bill was known for. That didn't mean they annoyed Dipper any less. So now he knew he wouldn't be getting any kind of information from the demon.

Bill paused, looking toward the sky, "Amazing how early the sun sets, hm? We were wandering around for so long."

Dipper gazed at the sky in amazement. The stars were already out and he hadn't even noticed. But that meant he'd been out for hours now. Hours with Bill and it was actually kind of nice. He shook his head rapidly at the thought. It was all a hoax after all. Bill was up to something and Dipper wasn't going to let his guard down just because they spent a nice afternoon together.

"I suppose I'll be off," Bill commented, taking no time to return to his familiar triangular form, "I'll be keeping my eye on you, Pine Tree," he reminded before fading away.

Dipper, now alone, leaned against a tree. He was bothered by the fact that he'd made no progress. Tomorrow was his last day to do any kind of research. Come midnight of the following day, Bill would be up to whatever it was he was up to. For now Dipper headed back to the Mystery Shack. It wouldn't be fair to Mabel if he didn't come back to help decorate the tree. His sister worked hard all day, with a few breaks of course, but made great progress regardless.

It felt too coincidental when Dipper came to the shack after only a few more minutes of walking. Bill had to have planned that. The teen sighed and headed inside, deciding to drop all his other thoughts for the time being.

Before he knew it his sister had tackled him to the floor in some sort of excitement. Mabel scooted off when Dipper gasped for air and the pair stood up. She smiled widely, overjoyed to have Dipper back. She'd been dreading a repeat of yesterday. There would be no way to tell where Dipper was if it happened again.

"Welcome back, bro-bro. Ready to get decorating?" Mabel got straight to the point and dragged her twin along.

He was going to say yes anyway, so he just smiled and went along with her. The tree was still bare, to Dipper's surprise. He expected to see lights at the very least. Mabel had held herself back the entire day, busying herself with creating a plethora of new ornaments and the like. From what Dipper could tell, the majority of them were heavily coated in glitter. They were, of course.

"Alright!" Mabel called out, dragging over the box of lights, "Let's get to work!"

The twins worked together wrapping the tree in lights. They ended up having to take time to fix some of the small bulbs that simply didn't want to light. Although the process was tedious they enjoyed themselves. Next the ornaments were hung with care. Both of them made sure to distribute them evenly considering all angles of the tree were visible in its spot. It didn't feel like a long process, but with a glance at the clock, Dipper noticed they'd worked for a full two hours. Their hard work left them with a beautifully decorated pine that glowed softly with colorful lights. The silence was broken when Dipper's stomach sounded with a loud growl.

"Ah... I guess I haven't eaten since I went to the diner."

He'd completely forgotten he skipped lunch, and at this point dinner as well. Mabel glanced at him, taking in the sight of their now decorated tree one more time, before grabbing her brother's hand and leading him into the kitchen.

"Lucky for you I haven't had dinner either. I'm sure we can figure something out with whatever Grunkle Stan keeps around."

Dinner wasn't anything extravagant, just like it'd never been back in summer. The twins got together enough to make sandwiches that at least seemed appetizing. After their quick meal and cleanup, the two marched upstairs to get to bed. The day had flown by just like the one before. It left Dipper and Mabel feeling anxious, but for different reasons.


End file.
